The decision to build a custom modular home is exciting and full of promise. It is an opportunity to have your home built exactly as you want it, tailored to your specific and unique needs and lifestyle. The challenge is partnering with that special builder who knows the ins and outs of custom modular building, who is able to understand you and your vision and who is committed to every detail necessary to make real what is only a dream imagined. At Matthew Bowe Design/Build we not only build great custom modular homes for great clients, we build your dream home. And because of our advanced systems and procedures, as well as the fact that we absolutely love what we do, every client is afforded the opportunity to truly enjoy the process and experience the fulfillment that comes with watching their dream become real.

What do we mean by custom modular? We mean that you can choose from our library of plans or you can bring us any type of plan, be it from an architect, on-line site, magazine, photo or even something you sketched on a napkin. We can build it using our modular techniques.

Matthew Bowe Design/Build offers the most advanced method of delivering truly custom modular homes. We are on a mission to educate homeowners to the fact that our method of delivering a custom home built using the modular method is not only as good as conventional "stick-built" custom homes, IT IS SUPERIOR.

In many respects, modular construction is very similar to site-built, or "stick-built" construction as it is frequently referred to. All the components typically used to stick-build a home on site are used in the modular method. However, in ways very critical to the quality and integrity of the house, modular is in fact far superior to stick-built construction. We will be very pleased to discuss in detail the many structural aspects of modular construction that are superior to the stick-built method.

A substantial percentage of the construction of your home takes place indoors in state-of-the art manufacturing facilities that we have visited, qualified and approved. Matthew Bowe Design/Build specifies everything about your home's construction just as if we were building it on site. All materials are delivered to the manufacturing facility dry and remain dry throughout the process thereby reducing the problems inherent with wet lumber and wet building materials including shrinking, nail pops, dips and humps in walls, floors and ceiling, cracked drywall, mold, etc.

The construction takes place in a climate controlled environment using square jigs and precise measurements and cuts. All this precision results in tight fitting floor, wall, ceiling and roof assemblies that are square, level and plumb.

Because we need to transport your home to your site each of the home's modules is designed to withstand severe forces including those experienced as a result of being lifted from the fabrication line on to a transport trailer, traveling along the interstate at speeds that approach hurricane force winds, being hooked and lifted by a crane, swung through the air and set on to the foundation. These conditions require that each module be extremely stiff, rigid and self- supporting. The same is not true with the typical site-built specification. From a pure engineering perspective there is absolutely no way to deny that a modular structure is inherently stronger and more rigid than a home built to the typical site-built specification.

On the day we set your new home on its foundation it will be approximately 70%-85% complete depending on the extent of custom improvements that we perform on site for you. We find that this reduces overall construction time by 3-4 months.

Equally important, our method of building your new home is one of the main reasons why, when we give you a contract price, it is set in stone. Because we build in an indoor, climate controlled environment using the most efficient construction methods, our costs for construction are locked in. The contract price you receive from us will not change unless changes occur in the project.

Finally, due to strict quality control and independent in-plant inspections, Matthew Bowe Design/Build is able to provide every custom modular home client a 10-Year RWC warranty on their new home.

As a design/build firm we are able to offer our clients a single source for both the design and construction process. A benefit of this comprehensive approach is that as both the designer and builder we have an opportunity to manage the design process with the client's budget as our guide. We also design exactly as we build so the potential for conflict between what is drawn on the plans and what needs to happen in the field is tightly controlled.

Because our model is built on close collaboration and attention to detail we allocate significant human resources to each of our projects and each of our clients, all of whom who have chosen to work with Matthew Bowe Design/Build by virtue of the design and construction agreements they have entered into.

As such, and because we do not want to underserve our committed clients, we have developed a process that enables us to focus the greatest effort and the most resources on those clients who are specifically seeking Matthew Bowe Design/Build's service model and all the benefits it offers our clients. When you enter into the design and construction process with Matthew Bowe Design/Build you can be assured that we focus the vast majority of our resources on those clients that have committed to us. We do not pursue new work at the expense of our current clients.

The typical flow of a project through Matthew Bowe Design/Build goes as follows:

Initial Inquiry
Homeowner contacts Matthew Bowe Design/Build LLC to discuss their plans for their project. During this initial phone conversation a representative of Matthew Bowe Design/Build will ask a series of questions to obtain a good understanding of the project and the homeowner's expectations with regard to fit and finish. This question and answer session is designed to enable Matthew Bowe Design/Build to learn as much about the homeowner's plans as possible and to make a prompt assessment of Matthew Bowe Design/Build's ability to meet the homeowner's needs. If we determine that there is a reasonable expectation that we can meet the homeowner's needs we will schedule an appointment. If we do not think there is a reasonable expectation that we can meet the needs of that homeowner, be it due to timing, budget, location or any other of a multitude of reasons, we will let the homeowner know and, if possible, we will refer the homeowner to another builder.

Site Visit
A representative of Matthew Bowe Design/Build will meet with the homeowner at the homeowner's property to make a physical assessment of the project and to ask an additional series of questions based on information gathered at the property. From this site visit a preliminary budget will be prepared.

Homeowner Investigates Matthew Bowe Design/BuildWhile the preliminary budget is being prepared Matthew Bowe Design/Build provides the homeowner with an extensive list of references. We strongly encourage the homeowner to speak with these (former and current) clients to learn about their experience with Matthew Bowe Design/Build. In as much as Matthew Bowe Design/Build is investing time to prepare the budget we ask that the homeowner invest a little time in an active effort to learn about Matthew Bowe Design/Build.

Preliminary Budget Meeting
Once the preliminary budget is prepared Matthew Bowe Design/Build will meet with the homeowner to present and review the budget.

Design AgreementHaving received a budget proposal, at this point in the process the homeowner will have had an opportunity to interact with Matthew Bowe Design/Build on multiple occasions and will also have been afforded the opportunity to speak with clients of the firm. Additionally, the homeowner will have been offered an opportunity to visit projects previously completed by Matthew Bowe Design/Build to see completed work first hand. At this point we will ask the homeowner to become a client by entering into a Design Agreement, the goal of which is to develop the specific construction documents that will serve as the basis for pricing the project and for building the improvements. Under the terms of this agreement, Matthew Bowe Design/Build will commit all necessary resources to develop a complete and comprehensive project design including plans, engineering, specifications and product selections. At the conclusion of the design process Matthew Bowe Design/Build present s the client with a set of plans and a project specifications book along with a Construction Proposal that includes a fixed, firm price for the project based on the plans and specifications that have been developed by Matthew Bowe Design/Build and approved by the client. At that point the client has the opportunity, but not the obligation, to enter into the Construction Agreement whereby Matthew Bowe Design/Build would commence construction of the project.

ConstructionOnce the construction agreement is executed the project moves into production. Because the process leading up to construction is so extensive and comprehensive the client will experience a project that is well planned and smoothly executed. It will be free from all the nightmare stories they have heard about, or experienced, which result from poor planning and insufficient resources. In the end we often hear from clients that they can't believe how well the project went and how few surprises they experienced.